


Unexpected

by dragon_temeraire



Series: Stiles is a Hottie [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College Student Stiles, Everyone Is Alive, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Mild Angst, Misunderstandings, Pining, Stiles is a hottie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-22 23:51:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7458484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragon_temeraire/pseuds/dragon_temeraire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles returns from college, looking even hotter than before. Derek doesn’t handle it well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> Written based off [ this post](http://captain-snark.tumblr.com/post/142324213998/i-am-a-fucking-slut-for-fic-where-stiles-goes-to). Everyone is alive, and also over 18.

He’d been hoping for a reaction.

If he was being honest, he’d actually been _anticipating_ a reaction.

While he’d been away at school, he’d started meeting people and making new friends. Some of those friends had turned out to be fitness guys, who loved running and working out. Stiles had ended up accompanying them on numerous gym trips, until eventually he liked it enough to just go, with or without them. He’d liked the feeling of being stronger, being able to trust his body to do what he wanted.

He’d become more confident with his looks, and started accepting invitations to parties. He’d started buying better-fitting clothes to show off his physique, and felt incredibly flattered when he was flirted with often. He’d kissed a lot of people, talked to a lot more, learned as much as he could, and even hooked up a few times.

He’d spent a lot of his days hanging out with everyone in the quad, wearing fitted tank tops and catching the sun, getting a nice light tan. Then his friend Marie, who was studying cosmetology, had begged him to let her cut his hair. She’d promised the style would ‘flatter his face,’ and wow, she hadn’t been wrong. It’d made his features look even more refined, drawing attention to the line of his cheekbones and the strength of his jaw.

He knew he looked good, and better yet, he really felt good about himself.

So, when he’d showed up at the pack meeting, he’d expected them to say something about the changes, maybe even tease him a little. He’d been all psyched up for them to see that he’d been thriving, that he wasn’t pale, skinny Stiles anymore.

What he hadn’t expected was Derek to throw down the book he was reading and mutter, “Fuck you,” as he stomped right out of his own loft.

“Um, what?” Stiles says, bewildered. Then he has to ask three more times, because Scott is laughing too hard to answer.

“I tried to warn him,” Scott gasps, “but he wouldn’t listen.”

“Seriously, what?” Stiles says again. He’s really starting to feel like the butt of a joke, because the rest of the pack’s still snickering, and they all seem to know exactly what’s going on.

“The thing about having werewolf friends,” Scott says with a grin, setting a hand on his shoulder, “is that you can’t keep your crush a secret.”

Stiles feels his stomach plummet. Had it been that obvious that he’d come back mostly just to see Derek?

Had that bothered Derek so much that he’d actually felt the need to leave?

“I think I’m gonna go,” he says thickly, not meeting Scott’s eyes.

“You should really talk to him,” Scott says encouragingly, squeezing his arm.

Stiles is very sure he’s not going to do that, but he can’t help looking for Derek on the way to his jeep. That’s when he notices the Camaro is gone.

Derek actually _drove away_.

Stiles tries not to think about what that means the entire way home.

*

Scott comes over the next day, while Stiles is out front watering the plants.

“Derek feels really bad about yesterday,” he says, no preamble.

“Yeah, well so do I,” Stiles grumbles, knowing Scott will hear him anyway. “I shouldn’t have come back.”

Scott gives him such a painfully benevolent look, Stiles is tempted to spray him with the hose.

“Derek took it really hard when you left,” Scott says. “More than I would have expected. He’d been looking forward to you coming back for like a month, so when you walked in—”

“He smelled my awkward crush on him and bolted?” Stiles angrily cuts in.

“No,” Scott says, eyes wide. “Definitely not.”

“Oh,” Stiles says, surprised. “What was it, then?”

“I could tell he was lonely, you know?” Scott says instead of answering the question. “You were at the loft a lot this summer, getting ready for college, and once you were gone...” He pauses for a moment, thoughtful. “So I would go over there sometimes, and mention something about you, and he would just light up. I would tell him about our skype conversations or texts, and he was always so happy to hear about you, so glad you were doing well. But I could tell he missed you a lot.”

“Oh my god,” Stiles blurts. “When you were saying that crushes don’t stay secret around werewolves, you were talking about _Derek_!”

“Yeah, man,” Scott says, laughing. “Erica thought it was great. She would print pictures from your facebook and give them to him all the time, with CALL HIM written in big letters on every one.” He shakes his head, grinning. “I don’t think he ever threw them away, either.”

“I can’t believe it,” Stiles says wonderingly. Then he pauses. “You’re not fucking with me, are you?”

Scott shakes his head. “I wouldn’t joke about that. You should talk to him, let him explain.”

“Yeah,” Stiles says, trying not to feel too giddy. “But I have to finish up here first,” he says, winding up the hose.

“Okay,” Scott says, pulling him into a tight hug. “I’m glad you’re back.”

“Me too,” Stiles says, and he means it.

*

Derek shows up just as he finishes the weeding. Stiles watches his cautious approach, trying not to grin.

When Derek gets close enough, Stiles glances down at his box of garden tools, then back up. “Do I need to give you one of these, so you can throw it down and walk away again?” he asks coolly.

Derek looks suitably chagrined.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” he says. “Scott tried to warn me, but.” He swallows audibly. “I had been thinking about you coming back for so long. Then I looked up and there you were, and you looked so good, and your scent was—” he cuts himself off. “I may have panicked.”

Stiles bites his lip, trying not to smile. This nervous version of Derek is too adorable.

“I mean, I get that I looked different. But why such an…over-reaction?” Stiles asks curiously.

“I didn’t realize it until after you left,” Derek says hesitantly. “How I felt about you, and I regretted not saying anything. So I was really anticipating telling you. Then you showed up looking like that, so gorgeous when you’re already so smart and funny, and I figured I was…” He sighs. “I figured I was too late.”

“Too late for what?” Stiles asks, tapping his fingers nervously against his thigh.

“Too late to ask you out,” Derek says. “You had to be dating someone already.”

“Me? Too—” Stiles suddenly laughs. “It’s not too late,” he says, still grinning.

“It’s not?” Derek says, brightening. “Then, Stiles would you—”

“Yes, I will be your boyfriend,” Stiles cuts in impatiently. “Now kiss me already.”

“I was going to ask you to lunch, or maybe a movie,” Derek says against Stiles’ lips. “But boyfriend works, too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come by and prompt me/talk to me [ on tumblr](http://dragon-temeraire.tumblr.com/).


End file.
